Total Eclipse of The Heart
by Syolen
Summary: After Taejo's death, Wang Mu is crowned King, but the palace never stops plotting, greed and lust for power ready to exploit the slightest weakness. Wang So has vowed to stand by his King, and he has promised to take care of Hae Soo. Wang So keeps his promises. No matter the cost. Retelling AU, starting after episode 13. More serious than the title implies.
1. Turn Around

Turn Around

Court robes billowing around him, Wang So strides purposefully across the yard, on his way to the throne room. The ceremonies that followed King Taejo's death and King Hyejong's enthronement are finally over, allowing life at the palace to resume some semblance of a routine. Or as close to one as it can get, So thinks grimly. Wang Yo has only been dead a fortnight, following his failed escape attempt, and the Fourth Prince is no fool – there will be more attacks on the new King. The ones against their father never stopped coming, despite the late King's aura, power, and influence. And now, in these uncertain transition times…

Wang So knows where he stands – where his father placed him, where he would want to stand anyway, to guard his brother's side and advise him. It has been clear to him since he came back to Songak, and he has had time to think about his motivations. It isn't blind loyalty to the throne, to a position or symbol; Wang So has never cared much for that. No, part of it is gratitude to a brother that has always been kind to him, even when his own mother rejected him. Mu was the only one who pleaded with their father to have his adoption by the Kang of Shinju annulled, to have him home and safe, and he hadn't stopped, not until So was finally allowed to live in Songak. That had barely been two years earlier. Mu has been taking his side for longer than So can remember, and the Fourth Prince isn't one to take it lightly.

But gratitude would be nothing if it wasn't for his deeply rooted conviction that Wang Mu _is_ a good man, and that he _will_ make a good King. He has already started, working to find the delicate balance between the rigour and goodwill he will need to unify the clans and rule undisturbed. A utopia, perhaps, but that, So reckons, is where he intervenes. The Fourth Prince has never had ambitions or dreams of grandeur – to simply be allowed to attend court meetings, where he can be useful in some constructive and positive way, is more than he ever thought he would get. But he is strong, and his reputation, tainted as it is, gives him influence, commands respect. He _has_ cards to play, and using them to help King Hyejong seems right enough a cause.

But today, Wang So comes before the King with a request. He waits until Mu is alone in the throne room, with only the ever-present Choi Ji Mong standing next to him, and bows.

"A request, you say?" the King repeats his words, raising a questioning eyebrow. His brother has only made one request before, over a year ago, to a different king, but Mu remembers. So keeps his head bowed, his gaze low, and his hands clasped in front of him, with no trace of his usual sarcastic or flippant attitude. This must mean a lot to him, then. Mu hides a smile - he has an idea of what it could be.

"Your Majesty," So starts, his voice clear and firm, but with his head bowing a little lower in respect, "please let Hae Soo leave Gyobang. She was sent there unjustly, and she was instrumental in stopping the coup that followed King Taejo's passing. She has earned it. Please let her go."

He has rehearsed the words, of course. He has chosen them carefully, hoping they would have enough impact without making him sound arrogant. Mu is not their father and So trusts him to be kind, but he is King, and if So oversteps his boundaries, he will have to react. Wang So is well aware that his track record in dealing with authority isn't the greatest, so he waits with baited breath, thinking he's done right, but his heart still beating a little faster, his hands imperceptibly clenching. _"Please. She has suffered enough here."_

But the King smiles his brotherly, warm smile. So he was right. Wang So may be different from their other brothers, in his manners, in his reasoning, in his righteousness, even, but there is one topic on which he is still easily predictable. He has never asked for anything, unless it was for Hae Soo. Mu is glad that, this time, he has good news for his brother.

"She has, indeed," Mu replies. "Everything has already been arranged."

So starts, momentarily relieved but looking up at him and blinking in confusion. "Arranged, your Majesty?"

"Yes. Hae Soo will be returning to Damiwon and assuming the position of Senior Court Lady. It is the least I can do, for her help. Choi Ji Mong relayed my proposal to her this morning, and she has accepted. She must be moving back as we speak."

"Back to Damiwon?" So tries not to frown, and tries not to read anything into the piercing look Choi Ji Mong gives him. This isn't right. It isn't what he wants. He wants Soo out of the palace, free of the constant scheming, free to be somewhere she at least has a fighting chance. He hasn't forgotten her flat, half-dead stare, her limping, or how she stays as far away from everyone as she can, how scared she is to associate with anyone. She needs to leave, before the palace crushes her completely. He has even worked out a plan: she can go to Baek Ah's house, at first, to rest and recover, and to figure out what she wants to do next. He and the thirteenth prince have power and money. They can help her, provide her with everything she may need to start over, be it in Songak or anywhere else. That isn't the hard part. The hard part is freeing her, and So curses himself for not coming to find the King sooner.

"Yes. It seemed fitting, as she is already familiar with it." It is the astronomer who answers, and him, Wang So can openly glare at. _"You_ knew _what you were doing…"_ "Court Lady Hae will assume her duties tomorrow."

And somehow, Soo has agreed to this.

" _I will live according to my own choices,"_ she had words had echoed his own wishes, stirring a longing in him that he doesn't like to dwell on. He had admired her then, for her inner strength, for her rebellious streak, so out of place in this palace, in a mere court lady. If the palace hasn't broken her very core yet, and if _this_ is her choice, then… He may not like it, but he has no right to interfere.

So is keenly aware of the King and the astronomer's gazes on him, judging his reaction. Well versed in palace protocol now, he dips into a low bow.

"Your benevolence is great, your Majesty," he says, hiding behind formality. He'll decide later if he meant it.

"Hae Soo has been of great help to me too, as you know. I am glad she chose to stay." Mu adds, leaning forward and making conversation now, one brother to another.

But Wang So isn't ready to drop his formal stance yet. "Soo has always been generous," he answers noncommittally, keeping his gaze low. There is a dark pull right below his heart, and he is only half-surprised to realize that it is fear. Fear of what the palace might have in store, fear of what it will do to Soo.

He has promised to take care of her. Wang So keeps his promises.

"And her tea-making skills are unparalleled," Mu adds, unaware of his brother's inner turmoil. Choi Ji Mong agrees vigorously, and So forces a smile on his face. Mu means well. Mu cares, too, in a way. Maybe, maybe he is worrying too much. Only time will tell, now.

They exchange a few more pleasantries before So takes his leave. Damiwon will be quiet at this hour and he wants a chance to talk to Soo, or at least to see her, and see for himself that she is, indeed, fine with this new development.

Baek Ah intercepts him on the way there. The younger prince looks around them before speaking, as if to make sure they won't be overheard.

"Brother," he starts in a low voice, "I just got back from Damiwon. Have you heard? About Soo?"

"Yes, his Majesty just told me. Choi Ji Mong relayed the King's offer to her this morning, and she accepted."

"I know you wanted her out of the palace…" Baek Ah says, a sad tinge to his voice, as if he were offering… comfort?

"This isn't about me, Baek Ah," he answers, cutting that train of thought short. "I was too late, and Soo has made her choice."

"Is it really her choice, though?" The sad undertone turns dark. Baek Ah is learning, So thinks, learning about deceit and double entendres - the palace at work, where they all have to learn how to play the game or be crushed by it. Wook's betrayal has shoved it right under his nose. It is another shadow in the picture, one that So firmly intends to stop before it can grow any more.

"His Majesty wouldn't force her," he says reassuringly. He wouldn't put it past Choi Ji Mong to have worded the offer in a way that Soo couldn't refuse, but he keeps that to himself. "If it is Soo's choice, we can only respect it."

There is a pause as Baek Ah nods, but So can't help himself.

"Did you talk to her?" he asks, and Baek Ah is too clever not to see that his brother still worries, despite his words.

"Only briefly. She was… very formal. She didn't look thrilled, exactly."

So is already baring his teeth and ready to charge into Damiwon before Baek Ah finishes his sentence, but the younger prince stops him, a surprisingly strong hand catching his arm before he can truly take a step.

"It's like you said, Brother. If this is her choice, we have to support her. You've seen her lately, she'll need us to be her friends. We can't cause any more trouble around her."

Wise words, and true words, still… So relents, none too happy about it.

"We should give her time." Baek Ah adds for emphasis, to which So answers with a terse nod.

Whatever else Baek Ah is about to say is cut short by the appearance of Hae Soo herself, clad in her new grey silk uniform and followed by a group of her underlings as she makes her way down the porch. They have not seen the princes and keep walking, giving both brothers an occasion to watch Soo intently, both trying to decipher her body language and deduce her true feelings about her new situation. Her face is carefully neutral, and her back a little too straight, her stride stiff as she tries to mask her limp. So does not miss the looks that some of the underlings give her behind her back – looks disapproving, looks of envy. Soo, who was Court Lady Oh's favourite before falling in disgrace, and who could still see the late King in person… They will not make her life easy. It makes Wang So want to find his old mask and wear it in front of them, to scare them into submission.

"We'll keep an eye on her, yes? Just in case?" Baek Ah asks as the court ladies move away. So he has read them well, too.

"Yes," So answers, resigned. There is really nothing else they can do for now. "Let's see how this goes."

* * *

Hae Soo did not want this. Did not want to return to Damiwon, where she can't escape her memories, does not want to smile and bow and play courteous for the princes. She had asked the late King Taejo to send her far away, and he wouldn't. Now his son is King, and the King has asked her to stay as a court lady, and who is she to refuse? She has nowhere else to go. Not the Hae clan, who disgraced after the wedding scandal, who she doesn't know anyway. Not to anyone in Songak. She has been trapped for well over a year, kept behind walls so hermetic that she hasn't been able to make friends from the outside world. Woo Hee was the only one, but Woo Hee is gone, now, and Soo has no idea where to find her. She hasn't dared ask Baek Ah, but from the longing that sometimes darkens his eyes, when he thinks that no one is watching, she has guessed that he doesn't know, either.

The Fourth Prince? She could have taken him up on his offer, married him and left. There is no doubt in her mind that he would keep true to his word, even when it comes to the possibility of divorce. He is a honourable man, the Fourth Prince, a good man, when he allows himself to be more than scars and sword skills.

But that is precisely why she couldn't go through with it. She will not use him for her own selfish good, not when so many already have. And Soo understands the game, now: as fond as the King is of his younger brother, a water maid is far, far too low to marry a prince. Mu could not have allowed it. It would have discredited him and his judgement when he is still in the first crucial months of his reign. What King Hyejong needs, now, is to gain the support of the clans, not to embarrass himself because of a maid.

The King has done as much as he could for her. He has offered her a more comfortable position, a cage that she knows, the limits of which she has already tested, where her royal friends can still visit her. Court Lady Oh has taught her well, and Hae Soo is not ungrateful. She will not fail.

The irony of her occupying this very position, in light of the events that followed her downfall, is not lost on her.

Still, she put on a brave face in front of Choi Ji Mong when she had accepted the offer, knowing that her only choice lay in which bars would hold her, and again when she first served the King, when she thanked him for his generosity. Gratitude also means having him and everyone else think that she _is_ genuinely glad for her latest twist of fate. She puts up with all of it: the long hours, the pain in her knee, the demands of the royal family, the remarks, the critics, the half-hidden looks and muffled words of the other court ladies. Her own memories.

There are some good moments. Baek Ah and Jung certainly seemed overjoyed to see her back. They visit often and entertain her with the tales of their latest adventures, and she plays along, not wanting to dampen their spirits. Sometimes, she even manages to relax, if only a little. She knows she is safe with them. Still, it is Wang So who comes to find her that evening, after a long day of running part of the palace and avoiding the little ghosts hidden behind every corner. She has scarcely seen him, these past few weeks, but she thinks that she understands him even better now, now that her own reputation precedes her everywhere she goes. Everyone knows her story, and no one will let her forget. She would be surprised if the prince hasn't come to the same conclusion. Maybe this is why he comes to her.

"You look like you need to take your mind off of things," he tells her.

And she does. But she can't admit that. Not when he has already risked his life for her. "It's just been a long day," she replies.

There's something akin to concern in his eyes. He shakes his head slowly and takes her hand, softer than he's ever done it, so she lets him guide her out of Damiwon and deeper into the palace. She quickly recognizes the route they're taking.

The Fourth Prince is taking her to his favourite lake.

"Was there something you needed, your Highness?" she asks, because she is not in the mood to put up with princely whims tonight.

"There is something I want to show you," he answers, and refuses to say more.

They keep walking until they reach the boat that is kept tied to a tree. Soo is about to state that she has not even the slightest intention of climbing into it, but So lets go of her hand to pull a small package from under one of the benches.

"Let's go just a bit farther," he says as he reaches her again, before taking her farther down the bank, past a small thicket. It is still the middle of summer, and the air around them pleasantly smells of warm earth and grass, far from the perfumes and scented candles of the palace.

The prince sits by the water and motions for her to do the same, but Soo merely raises a sceptical eyebrow in response. He interprets it as her being curious about the package in his hand, and quickly opens it, revealing a flask that Soo can only guess contains some kind of alcohol and a cup.

"You're full of surprises, your Highness," she comments wryly.

"Don't you want a drink?" he asks, shaking the flask slightly so she can hear the liquid in it. She does want a drink. If it could solve things, she'd drink herself into oblivion, and she has removed all alcohol from Damiwon precisely to avoid the temptation. When did the prince get so insightful? And why does she take him up on his offer, sitting beside him as he passes her the cup and fills it?

The rice wine warms and burns her throat and down her chest, and she welcomes the sensation. She empties the cup in one swallow, and only then notices the view on the lake. No buildings can be seen from where they sit; the vegetation around them and on the other side of the water hides them all from her view. In a few more cups, she'll tell herself that it is almost as if she really were in the countryside, away from the palace… Ah. Was that the Fourth Prince's intention all along? An illusion of freedom, when he can't give her the real thing?

She turns to him and eyes him questioningly, but he only smiles and refills her cup, his face a perfect mask of innocence. So he did plan this. Soo is not sure what to make of it. She is not sure what to make of _him_ , in that moment, like she hasn't since his return. He has feelings for her; she knows that. She has feelings for him too, but lately they've been changing, so much so that she doesn't know what they are anymore. But she doesn't want to think about that right now, she wants her mind quiet and empty, so she downs her cup and wonders how many more it will take to make her stop thinking about it.

If anything, this _is_ a nice view, and new to her, and she appreciates the gesture.

"You're not drinking?" she asks when he fills her cup the third time.

"I only have one cup," he answers with an apologetic smile.

"It's no fun to drink alone. Here," she says, handing him her drink. He hesitates, making Soo wonder if sharing a cup has any specific secret scandalous meaning in Goryeo that she somehow missed, but, to her relief, he eventually does take it.

"Do you come here often, your Highness?"

"Sometimes, when I need some quiet. Only Baek Ah knows to find me here. And you, now. Come here whenever you want. I keep the flask full."

They have that in common too, Soo thinks, this longing for freedom. The prince said he'd tasted it, during his travels to Jin, and now he, too, apparently misses it. If even princes have to resort to cheap tricks like this to feel free, what hope does she have? It makes her angry, to see her life laid out in front of her like this, every day identical to the one before, a constant repetition of duties to perform – because that's all it is, a performance, everyone down to the lowest water girl pretending to be honoured to be there when, really, they're all screaming for freedom. The King included.

But, there are no wrong ways to survive.

Soo remembers returning to Damiwon, putting on her uniform and sitting in Court Lady Oh's chair, and thinking that if this is what it takes to survive, then she will become the very best; she will be _excellent_ at surviving.

Spiteful, maybe, but it is one of the few things the palace can't take from her.

She realizes then that So has been watching her through her musings. His face is unreadable, but something in his eyes tells her that her thoughts have been pretty obvious on her face. To his credit, he doesn't comment on them.

"I never asked… How was Jin?" she says, more because she fears uncomfortable silences and the prince's scrutiny than out of sincere interest.

He accepts her diversion with a knowing smile and, to her surprise, Wang So, future king of Goryeo, turns out to be a more than decent storyteller. The scenery he paints is vivid in her mind and, as much as she never really cared for history, some names do echo in her memories and she finds herself asking for more details. The prince happily complies, adding anecdotes to his tale – another ambassador's obsession with tea, the small, flat-faced and long-haired dogs the ladies kept close, how he had to be on his best behaviour and follow the heavy protocol and how, really, she would have been _proud_ of him, how different the food, a particular sight on the way there or back.

Even when he asks how she's handling her return to Damiwon, he doesn't push for answers, and tactfully avoids more sensitive topics. He makes her no grand promises, does not offer twenty new ways he could break the rules and risk his position and life to get her out of the palace again, even though Soo is sure he has thought of them. Maybe it is the alcohol they've been drinking, but she finds her smiles are heartfelt, and so is her laughing.

She hasn't had this in so long – simply enjoying an evening with a friend. So has made it clear that he does not care about etiquette and protocol when they are alone, and not having to check herself constantly is _nice_. She knows her words have shocked Baek Ah more than once, even if he is too kind to say anything about it, but So takes it all in stride. At worse, he'll deem them a quirk of hers and leave it at that. But more often than not, he listens, listens to Go Ha Jin share her outrageously modern views, like he listened to her talk about justice, a lifetime ago.

Later, when they've left the alcohol flask significantly lighter, he walks her back to Damiwon.

"Thank you for tonight, your Highness. I did need the respite," she says as she bows to the prince.

"Anytime," is his only reply as he waves her goodbye. Soo is still surprised at how easy, how casual the evening has been. Maybe this is what King Taejo meant when he told her she should focus on what she has instead of what may be. She has friends who understand and accept her. One, in particular, who can be adorable one moment and completely infuriating the next, but still always, always has her back.

She doesn't remember her dreams in the morning. Only that they were warm, and safe.

* * *

Status. For many of the royals and many of the families that gravitate around them, there is no greater goal, no greater wealth, and no greater reward that this. Queen Yoo knows it well. All her life, she has been groomed, she has studied, trained, acted, and plotted for this and this only, each generation expected to go a step further, a step higher, than the previous one. She eyed the very top of the ladder.

She would be Queen.

Her family rejoiced when her wedding to Taejo was announced.

She seethed.

She wanted to reach the very top, to go as high as a woman could, and a queen she was, but she was only a third wife, a political pawn moved to ensure her family's future. One of many. In her eyes, nothing special. Nothing like what she truly deserved.

She had one asset, that maybe the other queens didn't: she knew the rules and how to rewrite them, how to bend them to her will. She would give Taejo a Crown Prince. Prince Mu was not much older than her own sons, he was sickly, and accidents happen. Or one makes them happen.

She would be Queen Mother.

And she has almost, _almost_ succeeded. Would have, if she hadn't been betrayed by her third son, if her second one had been more efficient.

But So is not her son anymore, and Yo is dead, her plans with him. Still, she has more cards to play. She is nothing if not adaptive.

"Ah, Jung!" the queen exclaims, pulled out of her musings by her youngest son's arrival. He greets her and joins her around the table, sitting in front of her, where a tray with a cup and sweets have been placed for him.

"I haven't seen you in far too long. How have you been?" she asks, her voice light and cheerful, like it always is when talking to Jung.

"Very good. Very busy with all the ceremonies surrounding his Majesty's crowning, and him inspecting his armies, but things are settling down a bit." Jung's voice, the queen notes, has the strong, clear tone of someone used to speaking his mind and having people listen. As expected of an officer promised to an even brighter future.

"I imagine. What did that entail, exactly?"

"Making sure that all my men's uniforms were presentable, that their weapons were sharpened… We made demonstrations of our fighting techniques and manoeuvres for the King and had to rehearse those, too. His Majesty already knew them, of course, but it is the custom."

"Of course," the queen answers, her smile sweet as honey. "I hear you made the King proud."

Jung gives her his toothiest grin, puffs his chest and beams at her, remembering the moment, and the queen smiles at her son's enthusiasm.

"Apparently. His Majesty was… very generous with his compliments."

"It is only fair. Your talents should be recognized. Besides, the real work starts now, doesn't it?"

"Yes. We'll have to see what kind of King his Majesty wants to be. Our father always kept his armies busy near the border."

Jung has emptied his cup of tea, so Queen Yoo refills it before answering. "His Majesty needs to surround himself with the right people, if he wants to succeed. Strong people who keep their goals in mind and stop at nothing to reach them."

She pushes the plate of sweets towards her son, encouraging him to try them. She had his favourite made, the small red bean ones he used to devour as a child. He used to eat them so fast that they left a dusting of white rice flour around his mouth, nose, and cheeks, much to the Queen's maids and attendants' delight. Jung still shoves them heartily in his mouth, but he is no child, not anymore.

"I trust the King's judgement," he says around a mouthful.

"No, it is your responsibility to ensure that he chooses right. King Hyejong is too soft, he needs powerful allies to make up for it, people who won't be afraid to make decisions when he hesitates." She sees Jung stop chewing, startled as he is to hear her openly criticize the King. Queen Yoo is no fool – after Yo's failed coup, she knows that she is being watched, that guards follow her and report her every move, all courtesy of So. But she isn't worried: the wolf prince may know that she worked with Yo and that she was behind the poisoning attempt on Mu, he has no proof. He must hope to find something, having her followed, but she is confident that she can outsmart and outwit him, and secure her position again. She smiles reassuringly at her son, makes herself look as innocent as she can.

"Someone like you, Jung," she concludes.

He swallows loudly. "Me? But… what do you mean? How?"

She takes her fan out of her sleeve and opens it in a disinterested way, as if she hadn't brought up the subject herself. "Make yourself useful. The King already has you in high esteem, make sure he keeps noticing you and you'll go up the ranks in no time."

"If I go up the ranks, it will be because I've earned it. What you're saying sounds like little more than begging."

"It is you getting what you deserve, Jung." She enunciates clearly, slowly, as if he were still a child after all and she was trying to explain something for the fifth time. "I only want what's best for you, and to make sure you get your due."

"Isn't it a bit early for that?" Jung sounds unsure. Tempted, the queen knows well that his goal is to earn the rank of general, but unsure. If it happens quickly, Jung could be the youngest general Goryeo has ever seen, and he does like the sound of it, but… He'd still rather do it the right way.

"Oh, it won't happen overnight, of course. But make yourself useful, make yourself _indispensable_ and become Hyejong's right arm, and you will be rewarded accordingly, before you know it. Who knows, maybe you'll even get more than what you're thinking."

"More?"

"You could even be made Crown Prince! It would be a very smart move on Hyejong's part. He may have named his son Je, the prince is still very young. He needs someone more… believable, if he wants to strengthen his position."

"You want me to… to… Are you serious, Mother?"

She takes in Jung's stunned expression and shock, his trying to come up with a proper answer… and backs down. For now.

"I'm joking of course!" she says, waving her fan prettily. "It is much too early to discuss any of these considerations. Just focus on doing your job, my son, the rest will follow naturally. Here, have more cakes." She passes him her uneaten ones and Jung mechanically brings one to his mouth, only answering with a nervous laugh. Still, he seems to buy her act and visibly relaxes as he chews.

"You had me worried here," he tells her with a proper smile when he has swallowed.

The queen relents and changes the topic back to more neutral matters – details on the manoeuvres rehearsed for the King, the day-to-day life in the army, the rigorous training Jung submits himself to. Her apparent setback doesn't worry her in the slightest. In fact, it is not a setback at all. It is all a means to an end, to ensure her position and that of her family. That Jung may be better suited to the life of a general than to the confinement of the Court is not relevant – with her to guide him, even he would make an excellent king. She only has to play her cards correctly, and her son's unquestioned trust in her will be her greatest ally. She has led the conversation exactly how she wanted to, and now, the seed has been planted. If she takes proper care of it, a comment here, a remark there… it will grow.


	2. In The Dark

In The Dark

Eighth Prince Wang Wook sits at his desk in his study. It is where he spends most of his time nowadays, when he isn't at the palace. He has his official duties, his household to run when he doesn't delegate those tasks to Yeon Hwa, but most of all, he needs the quiet and privacy the study offers to think.

It all happened so quickly. One moment he was fighting So – and he had trained and planned and gathered as much information as he could about So's sword techniques and, by all logic, he _would_ have won – and the next, Mu had shown up unannounced and uninvited, and only his quick thinking had saved his life. Wang Wook has never liked surprises.

Still, he cannot deny that this turn of events has worked in his favour, in more ways than one. He is a hero now, the one who held a traitor at the tip of his sword, the first to acclaim the new King. His aura and influence over the Court have grown.

But, he is only a minister and an advisor, expected to bow and kneel before the King. And that, Wook cannot accept.

"Brother, you shouldn't sit in the dark like this, it isn't good for your eyes." Yeon Hwa doesn't bother knocking on his door these days, and she walks in, maid in tow, lighting candles around the room. Wook watches her in silence. It has gone dark without him noticing.

When the candles are lit and the maid leaves, Yeon Hwa comes to stand before him.

"Brother, perhaps I can help you with what is bothering you."

"Matters of the palace, Yeon Hwa. It would not be wise to… interfere now."

"You wanted to become King, but another sits on the throne. Have you abandoned your goal?"

Outspoken and straight to the point, in ways that Wook could never be. He gives her a wry smile, somewhat amused by her boldness.

"No. But we must be careful, Yeon Hwa, and not rush things. I am trying to decide on the best course of action."

She smiles too, and walks to move a lamp so it would give more light to Wook's desk.

"Our third brother is dead, so your plan to be the traitor who kills the traitor cannot work now. What will you do? Wait for another occasion? You may wait for a very long time, Brother."

Wook frowns at what sounds very much like a thinly veiled insult. As if it were his fault that So put up a good fight and Mu showed up before Wook could get rid of him. He had even told Soo that Mu was in Chayeon so they'd look for him in the wrong direction.

"I will not sit and wait, Yeon Hwa," he answers, staring her down and almost grinding his teeth when she looks completely unaffected. "But I must be careful. So and Hae Soo both know what my true intentions were. Choi Ji Mong too, I suspect. They cannot prove anything as it is their word against mine, and no one will listen to a court lady anyway. But I know So keeps an eye on me. He is precisely waiting to see if I'll try something else and the King is… fond of him, as you know. I _cannot_ rush anything."

"Have you thought of something, then?" she asks angrily, annoyed at being lectured.

"There is a way. And now that I think of it, you _can_ help me, Yeon Hwa."

Wook leans back in his chair, appreciating the way his sister's expression changes. In the same breath, she goes from annoyance to almost childlike excitement, then turns serious again, entirely focused on what he is about to say. Yeon Hwa is frighteningly smart, Wook thinks, and she applies all her skills to reaching her own goals. He better put those to good use and have her work with him, rather than separately.

He is taking his sweet time answering, so she insists, "How can I reduce my debt to you, Brother?"

He leans forward then and speaks in a low voice so that no one will overhear. "Tell me, Sister, where did you find that poison you used last year?"

* * *

Wang Jung has been thinking. He has been sitting on the floor, propped up against his bed, for most of the night. There is far too much going on in his mind for him to sleep. His life, so far, has been mostly uncomplicated – he has attended Choi Ji Mong's classes with the other princes, practised his swordsmanship, and proved himself talented enough to go into more formal military training. He will be a general soon, and lead the King's armies to defend his country from invaders. It is a noble purpose for men of action like him, and a rewarding one, where he knows he will feel truly useful. There is no doubt in his mind that he will be good at it.

The plan has been laid out before him, and he is happy to follow it. Always has been.

His mother has always supported him, his eldest brother had taken him under his wing, and Jung was always eager to please them. Out of gratitude, perhaps. So they would shower him with more affection, more likely. He knows that, in their eyes, he cannot do any kind of wrong, not where it matters. The thought has always comforted him. Sometimes, he has used it to his advantage, to get out of trouble.

Wang Jung has always known who he is, and where he stands.

But that is changing.

He knows that his mother and brother… entertained thoughts. Thoughts of greed, of treason. Thoughts of the throne. They thought him harmless enough, their boy enough, that they openly joked about it in front of him, and Jung has overheard more serious conversations. He has ignored them. He wanted to believe that he was missing something, that he had heard wrong, that they were only trying to secure their position in the palace like so many others, that maybe, queen Yoo would simply push for Yo to become Mu's Crown Prince, when the time came.

Then she threw that pretence of a family dinner to try and recruit So to her side, and flat-out asked him to kill the then-Crown Prince. That marked the end of Jung's innocence. Still, he had refused to stand against his mother.

Yo tried to usurp the throne. He was punished like a traitor, and a traitor he was. There was no denying it. And their mother was behind it. It is a small miracle that she hasn't had to pay for that yet, and Jung wonders if she was also behind the attempt to poison Mu, the one that had almost killed So and got Soo tortured.

And the queen's recent comments to him, about how he should make himself indispensable to the King, how Hyejong should name another Crown Prince soon, how, if he plays his cards well, it may just be _him_ … The pattern is far more obvious to him than his mother realizes. Her plan concerning Yo failed, and now she is turning to him, to finish what she started.

But Wang Jung is no traitor. Maybe it is his military training, maybe it is simply his own heart, but his loyalty is to the King, first and foremost. He believes in oaths taken and will not break them. And while he loves his mother and may not directly act against her, he will also not follow her.

He feels betrayed, too, and more than a little hurt. He thought his mother loved him for himself, that she was genuinely proud of who he was becoming. But now he feels like little more than a pawn in her scheming. She wants one of her sons on the throne so she can shine as Queen Mother. She may love them, yes, but her sons are also a means to an end; their true value measured by the power and prestige they can give her. It will take a while, to make his peace with it.

The night grows cold now, and he pulls the quilt from his bed to wrap it around his shoulders. Around him, the palace is silent. He wonders how many of his brothers have sat like this, torn between their many loyalties. He knows he will have to come to a decision, and fast, before his mother insists one too many times and he doesn't dare say no and finds himself falling down a path he would regret.

Yo's decision was clear. Now Jung wonders what So would do, were he in this position. His older brother is a mystery to him. They have spent very little time together over the years, and now that he is back in the palace, So has done as their mother asked and stayed away from the younger prince. Jung only ever sees him at the official events and ceremonies the princes all have to attend. They have never really talked. Jung only knows what he has heard: that the wolf-dog prince is a blood-lusting monster, a disgrace to the family, that he will bring down anyone who gets close to him. But that is not the man Jung has caught glimpses of. Wang So is quiet, sometimes even shy, but clever, and very observant. Even when he stabbed Yo… Now that the shock has worn off, the swordsman in Jung reads the fight better. So tried to stop Yo. Stop, not kill. Not until Yo struck to kill and So had to defend himself. Jung remembers, now, how So dropped his sword and tried to catch Yo before he fell. The blood-lusting monster of legend may have pushed him, and would have laughed at his demise. But So seemed as shocked as Jung himself was.

Jung doesn't know the full story, doesn't know how his brother got his infamous scar, doesn't know why their mother keeps pushing him away. Nothing he has seen truly justifies that. But he doesn't know the full story, and he will not have his loyalties misplaced. One wrong move could make the situation so much more complicated… The light of dawn grows brighter, and Wang Jung, Fourteenth Prince of Goryeo, doesn't know what to do.

* * *

A few hours later, Jung barges into Damiwon. He is tired, his eyes burn and the circles under them are several lovely shades of purple, but he wants an answer to his questions _now_.

He finds Soo in Damiwon's kitchen, where she and the other court ladies are already preparing the sweets that will be served to the princes in the afternoon. She bows to him when she sees him, but Jung doesn't have time for polite greetings, and even less for small talk.

"Soo, do you trust my fourth brother?" he asks without preamble, slightly out of breath from his fast walk there and his own urgency.

She is startled, and blinks twice before answering. "The Fourth Prince? Yes, why…"

"Alright. Good," he nods to himself before Soo can finish her sentence.

Then Jung is out the door as fast as he arrived, and doesn't even stop when Soo calls after him.

* * *

The astronomy tower is _high_. Wang Jung considers himself to be in good physical shape, yet going up the fifteen flights of stairs has him winded and sweating, his legs aching, long before he reaches the top floor. But he has things to tell his fourth brother and discuss with him, and he wants it done now, before he loses any more sleep over it, or worse, his nerve.

Thankfully, So is there when he finally reaches the last landing. He has been working at his desk, there are a number of papers and letters spread over it, and a flicker of surprise crosses his face when he recognizes his visitor.

"Jung? What brings you here?" he asks, standing up to meet him.

"Do you really," Jung asks between deep breaths instead of answering, leaning on the railing, "go up all those stairs everyday? _Several_ times a day?"

So chuckles. "Yes? You get used to it after a while." He offers his brother a seat that Jung gratefully sinks into, then pours a cup of tea that the younger man downs in two gulps.

"Besides," he continues, pouring his brother more tea, "it guarantees that no one will come to bother me with nonsense."

"No kidding…" Jung answers dryly. "Luckily, I do have serious things to tell you, Brother."

So nods and sits back at his desk, elbows on the table and chin resting on his joined hands. He is tempted to crack a sarcastic remark about mama's boy finally leaving her skirts, but refrains. Better hear what Jung has to say first.

"I'm all ears," he says instead.

Jung takes a few more seconds to fully catch his breath and gather his thoughts. One thing to verify first.

"You are," he asks, "the King's man through and through, aren't you?"

So's eyes narrow and bore into Jung's, and while he doesn't otherwise move, doesn't even blink, the younger man feels the air around them thickening. The message is clear: choose your next words _very_ carefully, or else. He has forgotten that Wang So _can_ be dangerous, and that he better not underestimate him.

"Yes. Aren't _you_?"

"I am!" Jung exclaims, and So's gaze relents ever so slightly, letting him breathe more easily. "My loyalty is to the King. That's why I'm here. Our mother… has other plans. She wants me to make myself indispensible to his Majesty, and hopes that he will make me the Crown Prince in return. But I don't want any of it."

So nods as if he expected this. "I can't say I'm surprised she'd try this. But why are you telling me?"

"I thought you should know. I will not follow her plan. I don't know if I could… stop her, if her scheming got out of hand again, but…"

"So what, do you expect me to do it?" So interrupts. "I've already killed our brother, so why not move against our mother too, is that it?" His voice is harsh as steel, his eyes shining with anger, and Jung flinches. He has obviously touched a very sore spot and is reminded, again, of how little he truly knows about his older brother.

"That's not what I meant," he answers, raising placating hands. "It's just… I used to ignore Mother's plotting, but not anymore. I see it for what it is, now. And I want you to know we're on the same side."

So is quiet for a long moment, thinking Jung's words over and trying to detect the slightest hint of treachery on his brother's face. He remembers, too, that the queen and Yo weren't the only traitors. Wook is also vying for the throne, and while he hasn't done anything openly suspicious since their father's death, So still can't relax around him. It would be unlike Wook, to give up so easily. Queen Yoo may not be trying to kill the King anymore, but Hyejong still needs all the allies he can get. But should he trust Jung?

"And what _will_ you do, if she does ask you to do more than play favourites?"

"I would try… I would try to talk her out of it, to stop the plot somehow. Or just plainly refuse to do it. I told you, I will not betray the King. I just don't know if I could cause her any direct harm."

This, So can relate to. He _has_ tried to cover for his mother several times, until she directly threatened Mu and Soo. And he can't deny that there is a small, perhaps childish part of him, that still hopes he'll gain her affection, as much as he knows he should just move on. The voice at the back of his head is always there, whenever he sees her. _"What do you think of me now, Mother?"_

"We're not that different, then," he replies, lowering his eyes and finally relaxing. Jung only nods. He will remember that about So, and he guesses that means there really is no truth to the stories. Making up his mind is easy, then.

"I think you and I should know each other better," he finally says. "So that we can come to trust one another. Soo is right. We're brothers, we should get along."

Wang So raises a questioning eyebrow. It can't be that easy. People who make it easy usually want something from him; no one has ever just _decided_ to be his friend. Baek Ah and he just… clicked, growing up, in a way that Jung and he never did. Soo crept up on him, or he crept up on her, he isn't sure, and their friendship, while very much real, is still fragile, unsure of what it truly wants to be. Jung… Jung is eagerly smiling at him, awaiting his answer, his expression unguarded, and So can't detect any hint of an ulterior motive in it. He is out of his depth, and he doesn't like it.

"What made you change your mind?" he asks, caution winning. "Our mother explicitly told you to stay away from me."

"I know, but, all the things she said… I couldn't see any of it, so I figured I'd make my own opinion." Jung is still smiling, but it's smaller, perhaps more heartfelt, and So wants to believe it. How long has he wanted to belong, to have a family? His whole life…

He only dares nod, but thankfully, Jung is the more talkative of the two.

"All those stories… is it because of your scar?" he asks, his voice dropping to a whisper.

So's first instinct is to bolt at the question, but he stops himself. No. Jung's expression is still as open as earlier and he only sees genuine curiosity in it. Still, he hesitates before answering – how much should he reveal? Hae Soo may have solved the problem of his scar for him; it is still a sensitive topic he doesn't like to discuss. But it is the memory of Soo, of their easy conversations, that convince him. He knows what she would want him to do.

"Yes", he finally answers. "She has wanted nothing to do with me since it happened."

"But you were just a child then…!"

"This is the royal palace, Jung. With that face, I could not make her shine anymore. I could not… be useful to her anymore. So she sent me to the Kang of Shinju instead of our older brother."

"But now…?" Jung looks at So's face, right under his left eye, imagining the scar under Soo's concealer. He has been around Songak. The Fourth Prince may still have a fearsome reputation, but now the people tell other tales – tales of the prince who made it rain and saved them from the drought. Even in the palace, Wang So is respected. And yet their mother refuses to see it.

"Now, I am just a loyal subject of his Majesty," So answers, repeating the words he once told their father. "Not a Kang, not a Yoo. You should have it very clear too, Jung, where your loyalties lie. Being a prince, living in the palace… Sooner or later, you will have to choose."

* * *

Jung leaves the tower later feeling strangely light, with the promise of a relationship-building shared sparring session for the next morning, and So's words still ringing in his mind. _"You will have to choose."_ Jung thinks he has. This was the entire point of this conversation. What So meant, he knows, was that at some point down the line, this choice will have consequences. His resolve will be tested. And if So really is even half the swordsman Jung has seen, he will be testing this resolve as soon as the next morning. Jung will have to be prepared, not to ruin the progress they made today.

But beyond brotherly bonds and politics, what Jung really, really wants at that moment, is a nap.


	3. A Modest Proposal

**Note** : I was originally going to write this story with kakikaeru, but she is busy working on her own story and gave me free rein on this one. Still, she helped, and still helps, a lot with the plot, and she took time to write a few scenes for _Total Eclipse_. The first and last sections here are all hers, as is the chapter title (as is the story title, for that matter ~). Please read and weep over how beautiful her writing is. 3

* * *

A Modest Proposal

So is bored, and his court robes are heavy. Not for the first time today, he thinks longingly of the vast sky over Jin, the wind in his hair and a fast horse under him, the way the horizon opened wide and stretched forever, the sense of openness and lightness and _freedom_ …

He shakes his head and grimaces. He had never truly been free; even in Jin there had been the heavy yoke of duty, the burden of his father's words, the cage he carried wherever he went. Except his exile as Ambassador had been a cage of his own making, one he had walked into willingly with a straight back, clear eyes, and a lotus hairpin in his fist. His wry smirk softens into a rare smile. It was ironic that he should think of Jin now, when the entire time he had been there, his thoughts had been centered on the palace, on her.

He had believed her to be safe at the Damiwon, and that he had time. Time to appease his father, time for his sins to be forgiven. He had expected to come back and be able to ask for her freedom. To give her the wide open countryside, the overturning sea, the dome of midnight stars. But the time he'd spent working to win her emancipation had been too long. He has watched her break in stages: first Lady Hae's death, then her enslavement in the palace, until finally her legs were shattered by his own mother's plot. She had always been an enduring bright light; had always shone despite the darkness around her, but losing Lady Oh had been too much. She had spent the year alone, with only Baek Ah and Jung to support her, and his offer had come too late.

But things are different now, reset in a way. His father is gone and Mu is on the throne, and he has found himself with time once again. Wang So had always had to fight for everything in his life, recognition, favour, affection. He had clawed up the shreds that were given to him and guarded them close, ferociously. Things came easier now, and he has been trying to teach himself patience. It was what Baek Ah had recommended, slow and steady, instead of recklessly forward.

He thinks he is making progress, if their shared evening by the lake is a thing to measure by. It was probably the alcohol that had blushed her cheeks and brightened her eyes, made her drop etiquette and just _talk_ to him, but a small part of him hopes that the company had been to her liking as well. There is no presence in which he feels most at ease than hers, and if he could give her that same comfort too, surely that was enough for now. A friend, a confidant; he had time now, to be those things for her again, time to work towards something more. He knows his ardour frightens her; he will forever be paying for his mistake of kissing her without her permission. But he is not a man to make the same mistake twice. He had waved goodbye and turned away at the Damiwon, even when every nerve in his body was screaming at him to thread his arm around her waist, to stroke her heated cheeks and taste the wine on her lips. He had turned away and ignored the ache in the pit of his stomach, because that was not what she wanted from him. Yet.

"You are looking very resolute, your Highness," Ji Mong observes, and So is pulled from his thoughts by the Royal Astronomer's ready grin.

"Oh…" he falters, caught off guard, and Mu laughs above them from his seat on the throne. It is only the three of them in the assembly room at this hour, and they can afford to be at ease.

"My brother is no doubt thinking of how best to serve Goryeo," Mu smiles. So blushes faintly in response, trying to think of a dutiful comment, or, at the very least, a sarcastic remark, but his usually quick mind fails him. The silence hangs around them for a beat too long, and the King sets the scroll he has been reading on the table in front of him, shooting his brother a knowing smile.

"Perhaps that is enough for the evening," he says in gentle dismissal. He nods to them both and they see themselves respectfully out.

So shuffles towards the astronomy tower behind Ji Mong. Judging by the stars it is much later than he'd supposed. Late enough that all the maids in the Damiwon would be asleep.

"Shall we have a drink, you Highness?" Ji Mong asks, clapping him on the back. They have reached the base of the tower, and while he is not tired, he does not want the Astronomer's company tonight. He wants to be alone with his thoughts some more.

"Ah," Wang So sighs, pulling at the collar of his robe as though it itches. "I wish to take a bath before I retire."

"Of course; I won't wait up," Ji Mong bows politely. His smile is etched into a perfect semblance of court manners, but there is a suspicious twinkle in his eyes. It sets So's teeth on edge, but he takes his leave and stalks off towards the royal baths. He has felt lately as though the King and the Royal Astronomer have a secret they are keeping from him, a good-natured secret, but a secret none the less. He has been the family embarrassment for too long for it to sit right with him. He would speak to the King soon, and clear the air.

The Damiwon is dark when he enters, but that is fine with him. Out of necessity he has always bathed at night, away from prying eyes. Now, however, there is only one person from which to hide: every service he makes use of in the Damiwon is something she must oversee, and he wants her to rest. If she walks too much, or stays too long near the baths, her limp grows worse. For this reason alone he tends to his own hair and face, and requests his tea from the kitchens instead. The tea is terrible by comparison, but it makes the rare cup at social functions that comes from the Damiwon that much more precious.

Wang So sinks into the bath with a heavy sigh of relief, and stays there until his fingers are wrinkled. The steam makes his head feel sticky and itchy, so he holds his breath and sinks under the water, scrubbing at his scalp and running his fingers through his hair until it no longer feels oily. There is "soap" now at the Damiwon, but the one time he had used it had caused the scent to remain on him for days, and he thinks about her too much as it is.

Sufficiently clean, he dries himself off and dresses himself in one of the plain black robes kept here for the prince's use. His hair washing has removed the cosmetics covering his scar, but he knows she keeps some here. There is a light at the end of the hall, so he walks on silent bare feet. He is searching the drawers for his make-up when he hears footsteps in the hall. Soft and light, and slightly shuffling.

"Wait."

Wook. His eighth brother is in the hallway, but his voice is too far away. Which means the person outside is…

"It is very late, your Highness," she says, flat, cool. He has never heard her speak that way, even at first, when she did not like him. Never with such restrained hatred.

"Wait, please," his brother repeats, footsteps carrying his voice closer. So tenses in the darkness of the side room, and his hands fall to his sides in fists.

"I do not wish to speak with you, your Highness. Please come back in the morning."

He can picture it, the way she would be standing firm and straight, her small frame like a pillar. Her chin would be raised and her white teeth would be bared. _"So brave, Hae Soo."_

Wook's footsteps creak closer on the floorboards. "Come now. I only-"

"Leave!" she shrieks, and this is a tone he knows very well. _You will ruin everything, in the end!_ She is afraid. _Afraid._ Wang So thinks of the last time he has spoken with his eighth brother, the snarled insults and concealed armour under his robes, and he moves.

He materializes out of the darkened doorway, his hair damp and loose and his scar red and angry, clad in all black like the wolf-dog of rumour. He is behind Hae Soo, and that is good, because his eyes are murderous and he does not want her to see. Wook starts in surprise and the colour drains briefly from his face before recognition flashes in his eyes.

"She asked you to leave," So says, a soft voice with only a hint of malice. There are several things he blames Wook for, but his relationship with his eighth brother is complicated, and open aggression is something he saves for his dealings with Yo and Won.

The sound of his voice makes her gasp, and she spins to face him. Her eyes widen and she covers her lips with her hand, but not before a startled cry escapes them. Something inside him shatters; is he that frightening to her? But then she limps towards him, her eyes shining in relief, and he moves again, in the way he always does when Hae Soo is threatened or in trouble. He places himself in front of her, and becomes her shield.

"Come back in the morning," he tells Wook evenly.

Wook watches them with an unreadable face of stone, and So matches him with one equally as firm and direct _. "Try me brother, I dare you."_

They glare at each other for what seems like an age. So can hear her behind him, hear how her breathing becomes more and more erratic, and he is about to give up on being slow and steady and shove Wook face-first into a door post when the Eighth Prince huffs in frustration, and gives in. Wook bows stiffly in dismissal and wordlessly takes his leave. So remains firm in his stance, watching his brother's retreating back. His relationship with Wook _is_ complicated, and So realizes with glaring certainty that he does not trust him. Not in any official capacity for Goryeo, not as an advisor to Mu, and certainly, most especially _not_ with Hae Soo.

So clenches his fists, listening to her laboured breathing, the only sound in the hallway until they both hear the faint echo of the Damiwon gate closing behind Wook. She sobs softly and collapses behind him.

"Hae Soo!"

She is clutching her chest, her tiny shoulders shaking, and he kneels beside her but does not touch her. "Soo-yah…"

"Ah, ha…" she pants, swallowing a lump in her throat and gritting her teeth. She is crying but her lips curl into a faint apologetic smile and he can't have that, he can't watch her struggle to be strong for him. _"Too brave, Hae Soo."_

"I will go for the Royal Physician, Soo-yah," he promises, because if she continues like this she will faint. He starts to get to his feet and her hand darts out to grip his sleeve, white knuckled.

"N-no," she gasps. She pulls him towards her with surprising strength. "Don't. Don't!"

He gapes at her, too shocked to move, and her other hand reaches out and grabs the fabric of his collar. He watches her take a deep breath that looked like it was full of shards of glass. _"You stupid girl."_

"Don't go," she sobs, suddenly panicked. "The Eighth Prince, you must be careful of him!" She has a terrified and faraway look in her eyes, the one she sometimes has when she looks at him; the same one Ji Mong wears before he says something cryptic. So has his suspicions, but for now it is easier to explain them away. She is afraid of Wook, and worried he would come back to speak with her once So left.

He sets his hand on her shoulder. That is allowed, Baek Ah is always squeezing his shoulder to reassure him. She is so warm, and her thin shoulders are so fragile. The contact makes her blink her dazed eyes, but while they focus on him, the look in them is still distant, as though she is looking through him.

"I will be careful," he reassures her. "I won't leave, Soo-yah."

It isn't fair to her, it isn't what she's asked of him. It isn't even a promise, only his own selfish desire. He wants her to need him. _"I will never leave you, my Soo."_

But her breathing is still ragged, her grip on his clothes white knuckled. She squeezes her eyes shut with a small whimper, and the noise makes a panic rise in him. She is scared, yes, but surely this is more than that. _"What has Wook done? What has he done to hurt you like this?"_ It's a foolish question. Wook refused to help her when the palace swallowed her whole; when it wrapped her up in its plots and terrors and then spit her out to suffer. He had abandoned her to misery.

Hae Soo's shoulder shakes under his hands and she cries out painfully, and the sound of it tears something inside him that he thought had been mended in Jin, that makes him feel again the frantic beating of his heart as he had pushed Mu and Baek Ah aside and ran from his sickbed, clutching his sword and praying he was _not too late_ , not too late to spare her life. So raises his hand and cups her cheek, running his thumb lightly over her delicate cheekbone, the way he had to comfort her in the rain.

"Soo-yah," he pleads gently, the same tone and words from that terrible day. "I'm here…"

It makes her cry, and she bites her lip, nodding into his palm. His hand slides across her shoulders to pull her into himself, as though he can physically hold her together. He does not know how to comfort someone, his own life had been so void of kind touch that he fears his own desire to be near her is taking advantage of the situation. But Hae Soo curls into him, still clutching his collar as she presses her other cheek into his chest, sobbing freely now. At any other time, he would have been thrilled at being able to hold her, but his heart is beating swiftly now in concern alone. How long could someone struggle to breathe before it was dangerous? He wracks his brain, trying desperately to think of what else he could do to help her calm down, but all he can think of is Baek Ah playing his flute, and how the music always relaxed him. Wang So is no poet, no musician, but he has been touched once, by a song.

So clears his throat quietly, and takes a deep breath. It comes out soft at first, hesitant and faint. But it does not take long for the memory to fill him, for the remembered sound of her voice and the smile on her face to overcome his shyness.

 _Even in the midst of a harsh, biting wind_

 _A handful of sunshine makes you smile_

 _Surrounded by heartless people that pass you by in a hurry,_

 _A handful of friends makes you smile_

Her shoulders stop shaking, her hand slides from his wrist to rest on his shoulder, and So finds that he likes to sing, that he would sing forever if it meant she was whole, that she was safe and happy.

 _If you ever find a place where there is no loneliness,_

 _Please take me there with you_

 _My friend, my dear friend, thank you for being you_

Hae Soo lifts her head from his chest, her eyes clear and wide, darkly luminous in the faint candle light of the hall. Her lips bear the indent of her teeth and her cheeks are damp, but her breath is coming more easily now, less jagged. He looks into her eyes and vows, in the deepest part of his heart where he only lets her dwell, that he will find a place for her to be free.

 _Even if the silent sky looks different from yesterday,_

 _Who can I blame for that?_

 _Perhaps everybody in this world suffers from bad dreams,_

 _I shouldn't be the one whining alone._

 _There was a place I once wished to go back,_

 _But now, even my footprints look strange to me_

She told him once, that everyone has a hard life, that everyone carries their own burdens in their own way. He had wanted a life in the palace, he had believed that once he lived here amongst his brothers that his destiny would finally manifest as it was meant to. But the palace is a dark place, and Hae Soo belongs where there is sunshine and light. She has been that, for him, and now, he is determined to be a light for her. It lends strength to his voice as he gives her the final line, relieved to see she is at last breathing somewhat normally.

 _My friend, my dear friend, thank you for being you._

The last notes hang in the air between them, clear and full of promise. So sits before her and watches her, rubbing circles into her back. Nearly shaking with restraint. He loves her, gods, he loves her more than he has ever loved anyone or anything, and while he is adamant that she is his, in reality he is desperate to belong to her. He knows this moment is fleeting, that in the morning she will pull the rug out from under him and reassert that they are friends and nothing more. It has happened enough now that he barely loses his balance.

"Are you all right now?" he asks.

It is barely more than a whisper, but she is close enough to hear him. She nods weakly. "Your voice is very soothing," she admits, a smile toying at the edges of her lips. His heart beats a little faster, but he can't give in, not yet. He releases her from his embrace, nodding, looking at anything except her. _"She smiles for everyone,"_ he reminds himself ruthlessly.

"Oh," she breathes, letting go of him. He feels colder for the loss, but he refuses to allow himself to be disappointed. What matters is that she has recovered, what matters is her health.

"Oh," Hae Soo says again, and then her fingers stroke through his hair. "Your hair is so long, your Highness."

"My… my?" he stutters, while she combs through it. He blinks in confusion and he knows he is blushing, but the carding of her delicate fingers through his hair seems to brush the thoughts completely out of his head.

"I'm a man," he finally manages, slightly affronted. Only boys wore their hair short, until they started to carry a sword, and then it was customary to keep it away from the face.

"It's beautiful," she says softly.

 _"Don't,"_ he thinks. No one has ever called him anything other than ugly and cursed. _"Don't lie like this, Soo-yah."_

He clears his throat and takes her hand gently from his hair. The urge to cover his scar with his other hand is strong, but he fights it.

"Can you stand?" he asks the floor.

"Yes, I think I can," she replies quietly.

He helps her to her feet, but she can barely walk; she grips his arm for support and each step makes her wince. It was bad for her to be on her knees, and she has clearly been walking too much in her duties as head of the Damiwon. He walks slowly beside her, but they haven't even gone halfway down the hall before she stops, hunching over and rubbing her left leg.

"You foolish woman," he chastises gently. "I am sending the Royal Physician in the morning."

"It's not that bad," she groans. "It's only bothersome when I am near the water too long."

He knows it is a lie, but they would only fight about it. He stands beside her, chewing his lip, weighing his luck. "I'll carry you, Soo-yah," he offers quietly.

Before, he might have simply done it. She is lighter than air and he has carried her in his arms before, though she does not know it. She had been soaking wet and broken and he had carried her from the Grand Courtyard all the way to the Damiwon without once shifting her weight, so worried that he would cause her further harm. But he has held her once already this evening, and while he is firm in his conviction of his love, he cannot push her to care for him.

"If it's all right," he adds. "I can carry you."

"Sh- sure…" she says, and he grins in spite of himself, because she has used one of her strange turns of phrase. To be sure is the same as to be certain, but Hae Soo sometimes uses it as a way to accept, to say yes.

"Then, sure," he repeats, liking the strange word. A word that belongs only to Hae Soo, just like the stars you can only see in Goryeo.

He steps into her and pulls her arm around his shoulders before she can change her mind. Her eyes widen but she does not protest him scooping her up in his arms, or how close he keeps her against his chest. It's the second time this evening he holds her, and this time he is painfully aware of her against him.

"This is all right?" he murmurs, tapping the side of her knee with his fingers, trying to remember that she is still unwell and that is why she needs him. "It doesn't hurt?"

"No," she murmurs, and he hopes she cannot feel how hard his heart is beating. Peonies. She smells like peonies.

He carries her through the Damiwon, and she is lighter than he remembers. He tries to convince himself that it is because her clothes are not sopping wet this time, but he makes a mental note to speak not only to the Royal Physician but also to the kitchen staff. He can't do much to lighten her workload; she is subject to the whims of the royal family, but he can speak to Mu. She needs to take care of herself if her leg is to get any better.

Wang So sets her on her feet just outside her door. There are some boundaries even a prince cannot trespass.

"Do you need anything Soo-yah? I could send one of the maids from the palace…"

"No, I'll be all right." She opens the latch of her door and he is relieved that she has forgotten to bow. Instead, she flashes her wide and sincere smile as she steps over the threshold. He feels light-headed and he is tempted to linger in the hallway, tempted to sit the whole night outside her door. But he has resolved to be slow and steady, and it is very late. He still needs to cover his scar and retrieve his robes.

"Ah, your Highness!" she calls, sticking her head out of her door.

"Oh?"

"Thank you, for tonight."

"Anytime," he smiles, and smiling at her is easy, even with the left side of his face only partially hidden by his hair.

He waves, a gesture he has picked up from her. He has noted that it was acceptable in greeting, parting, and to get someone's attention. Someday he means to ask her about her childhood, and where she had picked up her singular mannerisms and turns of phrase, the strange songs that only she seems to know. Someday he means to tell her that he adores each and every one.

She returns his wave before closing her door. He sighs and runs his fingers through his hair, tracing the path of hers along his scalp. Tomorrow will be a very long day. There are the usual duties he needs to attend to, the quiet enquiries he must make on behalf of her health, and he'll also need to take the time to visit the Hwangbo Manor. Wang So's fists clench. He has unfinished business now, with Wook.

* * *

His eighth brother makes things easier for So in the end, by finding him as they exit the morning Court meeting. Between comments to the ministers and salutations, the Eighth Prince falls into step with him, following him out of the building. He must mean to surprise So, to have this conversation on his own terms, but Wang So does not fear him. If there is one thing he is sure of, it is that he will not fail Hae Soo. Not again.

"Mu is shaping up to be a wise King, open to discussion and advice," Wook says, because they are still within earshot of the groups of court officials that linger in the courtyard.

So is not fooled, and doesn't bother hiding his sarcastic smile. "His Majesty has been preparing to assume his position for years, and he has a clear vision for Goryeo, to continue our father's work. He is open to advice, but that will only help him refine his ideas, not redefine them entirely."

He is on guard now, around Wook, even more than before, his mind ready to read between lines and seek the truth behind the pleasantries. He is done being patient and pretending to be polite, especially when Wook seems to be intent on playing that very game.

"Of course. Open discussion can only be positive for the country." Wook replies, and So sees him stand straighter, sees his shoulders tense.

There is renewed tension with Khitan, reports that their leader is getting ambitious and has his eye set on Goryeo. Wook has his idea on how to deal with it – increase military presence at the border, maybe sending a prince to bare his teeth at their neighbour, one step from outright aggression, to show off Goryeo's strength. To show off Wook's own strength, here in the Court room, by being the one to suggest it. Wook has enough influence over the ministers that he several of them are already loudly backing him, but Hyejong would rather try for a more diplomatic solution first, and the debate is far from over.

So has stood by his King, as Wook expected him to, and has countered every single one of Wook's arguments. It may be differing political views, but the Eighth Prince is convinced that it has everything to do with their encounter the previous night.

"Indeed. However, open discussion does not mean a pocket of advisors trying to sway him." So says, setting Wook's teeth on edge.

Wook stops then and grabs his brother's elbow to force him to turn to him. So's smile has turned amused, provoking, and Wook feels his anger rising. He only takes time to throw a careful glance at the people around, none of them looking their way.

"What are you implying? Do you think that this is what I want to do?" he hisses, his usual cool demeanour cracking.

He grips his brother's elbow harder, but So yanks his arm free.

"I never said it was you," So growls, "but if you feel concerned, then maybe you should check your loyalties, dear brother. Or is that your revenge, for not being able to steal the throne from Mu the first time?"

"I will not tolerate you accusing me of treason…" Wook meant to corner and provoke So but his control of the conversation is slipping, and the Eighth Prince has to admit that he has underestimated his brother. As much as he knows that So does not trust him, he had figured that So would be nothing more than the King's loyal watchdog, that he would wait for Mu to point him in a direction of his choosing before lashing out. So's direct animosity and provocation surprise him. The Fourth Prince's looks every bit like he did the previous night, when he had materialized out of the darkness behind Hae Soo, and Wook remembers that he, too, is angry. Court scheming aside, So has turned his sweet Hae Soo against him, has thwarted his attempt to win her back, and this, Wook will not forgive.

"Why were you at Damiwon last night?" he asks, drawing himself to his full size and looking down at So.

He is rewarded when So looks momentarily destabilized, but the Fourth Prince quickly recovers.

"I went to take a bath. Why were _you_ there?"

"I wanted to check on Hae Soo. You may have decided that she is your person, but you are mistaken, So, she was never yours."

So almost laughs at Wook's words. They were meant to wound his pride, but So is far, far too used to that tactic for it to have any impact, especially coming from _Wook_ , and the Eighth Prince's attempt fails miserably.

"That is for Hae Soo to decide," he answers firmly. "I don't know all of what happened between you, but I _do_ know that she did not want you there last night. Leave her alone, Wook. It shouldn't be too hard; I hear you did that very well while she was at Gyobang."

The remark is scathing enough that it stuns Wook into silence and So takes the opportunity to leave, not interested in anything else Wook may have to say. He walks in long, angry strides, heading towards the training grounds. Wook may not have wounded his pride, but the anger So felt the previous night has returned, just as hot in his veins. He has no better remedy than to work it out with a few serious sword drills until his head is clear again.

Still, the conversation has been informative enough. He is right to be wary of Wook, and doubly so. Wook may be trying to sway the Court, and from there the King himself. He must be envisioning himself as a ruler in the shadows, king in all but name. So's general dislike and mistrust of his brother will have to become much sharper if he wants to prevent this. He cannot have Wook watched at all times, but he also can't trust that his presence alone will be enough to deter him.

Wook is sneaky and cunning, always slipping out of his hands like a snake. So has no proof, again, and cannot formally accuse Wook of anything, or even relay more than suspicions to the King, and Mu has only seen part of the story. He knows what Mu would say: that his dislike of Wook clouds his judgement, that the Eighth Prince has given him no reason to suspect him.

All So can do to give himself the illusion that he isn't powerless is to meet Wook halfway in the Court room like he did today, not letting him manipulate the other officials.

As for Hae Soo, as obvious as his threat to Wook was, there isn't much he can truly do, either. Wook is a prince, and Soo a court lady. If he wants to see her, he only has to summon her and she will be unable to refuse.

Cursing under his breath, he reaches the training grounds, mercifully empty in the late morning. The adjoining building, where training equipment is kept, is equally quiet, and So quickly takes off his court robes and changes into a more appropriate attire before grabbing his sword and heading back out. He is still angry, too angry, his teeth grinding, but he makes good use of it, redirecting his anger into his strikes. His fight against Wook in front of Cheondeokjeon replays in his mind and he lets the memories guide his sword – only this time, every single one of his strikes find their mark.

* * *

Hae Soo wakes in her room in the Damiwon to the scent of fresh peonies, and smiles in spite of herself. A fresh bouquet has arrived from the palace every morning since her frightening encounter with the Eighth Prince, always a modest grouping of four blossoms. She rises from bed and walks carefully to her desk to stroke the petals of this new bouquet; pink today and delicately scented. At the end of the day she will save the petals in a box with all the rest; turning them over to dry and preserve for perfume.

She has not seen the Fourth Prince since he'd carried her to her room, but the bouquets are not the only reminder of his presence in the palace. There has been the visit from the court physician and the sudden doting presence of either Baek Ah or Jung at her meals, always with a princely amount of food and more than they could eat themselves alone. There has been the order from the King that she was to delegate all of her responsibilities in the Damiwon in order to be available to serve him alone.

 _"He must think himself very sneaky,"_ she thinks, plucking a few of the petals from her gift to scent her morning washing water. In truth, she was grateful to him for always helping her, but having less to do was not as much of a help as he perhaps thought it was. When her mind was idle it drifted too close to painful memories, and even after months of work in the Damiwon, months of relative peace, she is still afraid that everything can be snatched away. And then of course, if he continues to help her, there is the continued risk that he could once again be punished for it.

Hae Soo washes and dresses, keeping off her feet as much as she can. That had been the recommendation of the Royal Physician, and since the Fourth Prince had sent him personally she does her best to heed the man's advice. She binds up her knee with herbs to keep the swelling down, and is almost ready to call for breakfast when a soft knock sounds on her door.

"Yes?"

"Court Lady Hae, there is a summons from the King," comes the soft reply.

 _"So early,"_ she wonders, worried. Perhaps his eczema was acting up with the return of the warmer weather. She is making a mental list of the things she will need to take with her to the palace as she opens her door, and the maid outside bows politely, hands clasped against her plum coloured skirt.

"The King is taking breakfast with his Highness the Fourth Prince this morning," the maid continues, "and he has requested that you bring tea."

Hae Soo blinks at the maid, and then she smiles. A new shipment of teas has just arrived from Qing yesterday, and she knows exactly which ones she will choose.

Wang So seats himself comfortably across from his brother, informally on the floor, the way they had eaten together as children. He'd been surprised at the invitation, but pleasantly so. It is not often they can speak privately; Mu is the King and Wang So is busy with his duties to help Goryeo run smoothly. He knows too that his brother has sought this audience not merely for social reasons, but that is fine. It is nice to be trusted, to be taken into confidence.

Mu smiles open and wide at him, gesturing to the tables before them to indicate that So should help himself. His own smile of thanks is small but genuine. "Thank you for the meal, your Majesty," he offers, before selecting a slice of meat with his chopsticks. They eat in companionable silence, and when the dishes are cleared, the eunuch announces the arrival of tea. So is not looking towards the door, but he hears the familiar sound of footsteps that are soft and light, and slightly shuffling.

"I have brought tea, your Majesty," she says quietly. Formal, reserved, her eyes on the floor. The perfect posture of a Court Lady.

"Ah, thank you, Lady Hae," Mu smiles. She directs her assistants to set the trays before them and while So is disappointed she does not come closer, he is glad she does not kneel for their sake.

"I have taken the liberty of selecting teas for your Majesty and your Highness," she explains, as the tea is poured by the Damiwon maids. "I hope you will enjoy it."

The maids withdraw to wait, behind Hae Soo where she stands bowing. Mu picks up his cup immediately, smelling the tea and drinking deeply, clearly pleased with his selection, but So pays him no mind. The tea in his cup is pale green and luminous, and as he lifts it to his lips his nose is assaulted by the delicate scent of peonies. His eyes dart over the top of his cup to look at her, and she must feel his gaze, because the corners of her lips turn up. He closes his eyes and drinks slowly, the tea hot and balanced, slightly fruity and nutty and bearing her secret thanks. She had liked his flowers, and the thought makes the tea even better. His sigh of pleasure escapes no one's notice, and Hae Soo peeks at him from under her brows, her large dark eyes sparkling.

"Very fine," he murmurs. "Well chosen, Lady Hae."

She bows silently in response while Mu offers his own praise, and then dismisses her. So nearly protests before he remembers where he is; he stares down at his tea tray, the cup just the right size for his hands, fluted in the way he likes, and two honey pastries on an accompanying plate. _"She knows everyone's favourites,"_ he reminds himself. To distract himself from her retreating footsteps and the sound of the door closing behind her, he picks up a pastry, revealing the pink peony petal underneath.

"You are blushing, brother," Mu says gently.

"What? Oh…" So looks away, embarrassed, and Mu chuckles to himself.

"When, dear brother, were you going to tell me about your feelings for Hae Soo?"

"What!?" He stares now at the King, openly mortified. "Your Majesty, I-"

But Mu is smiling, and Wang So doesn't know what to say. "Hae Soo is the property of the King," Mu reminds him, "So you will have to come to me eventually. Ji Mong has already chosen several auspicious dates."

So gapes at his brother, a tumult of emotions running through him that first take him very high, and then crash him very low. He wants, more than anything, to marry Hae Soo, to be responsible for her happiness and to give her freedom. He wants it, but she loves another, and he isn't sure yet if it would be entirely fair to drive himself like a wedge between them. He presses a hand to his eyes, dizzy. "Soo-yah does not wish to marry me," he admits quietly.

"Are you certain?" Mu asks, and his gentle disbelief makes So laugh wryly to himself. Does Mu imagine there are hordes of women who are clamouring over each other to win his affection? With his face and reputation?

"I won't force her," he tells the King, because he could do that, he could ask for her and Mu would give her to him, and she would hate him everyday for the rest of their lives. _I'm a person! Not an animal or object. I don't belong to anyone!_

Mu strokes his beard, clearly at a loss. "This puts me in a difficult position," he admits. "I was hoping to resolve this to everyone's liking as best I could."

"Resolve what?" So asks, thinking his brother couldn't possibly be so underworked with ruling Goryeo that he would be this concerned about his fourth brother's love life.

"I know that you care for her," Mu explains, "but Wook has asked me to emancipate her; and return her to his manor."

"You can't do that!" He slaps his hand down on the tea tray so hard the dishes nearly topple to the floor. With a small cry he rescues his plate of pastry and its hidden treasure before it smashes.

"I do not wish to separate you," Mu sighs gently, "but it is clear Hae Soo will recover better away from the palace. If I do not allow her to go, I need to give Wook a reason."

"Tell him I'll kill him," he mutters, a stronger iteration of what he had told Wook a few mornings earlier. _Leave her alone, or you deal with me._

Mu clicks his tongue against his teeth, softly frustrated. "I've upset you," he apologizes. "I will come up with a solution."

So nods glumly, and his second honey pastry tastes like ashes in his mouth.

Soo halts grinding her pestle to carefully pour more oil into her bowl. She had noted today that Wang So's concealer looked flakey over his scar, and if memory serves her correctly, it is due to the dryness of the skin underneath. She remembers the rough feel of the puckered skin under her fingers, and adds a second squeeze of Chinese aloe. It isn't as good as what had been available to Go Ha Jin in her soap making, but it would do wonders for skin she suspects he has neglected his entire life.

 _"That ends now,"_ she pledges determinedly, _"Someone that handsome should take better care of himself."_

Her cheeks heat but she gives her head a firm shake. She is only trying to help him, when he has been so kind to her. She takes a pinch of the cream between her fingers, testing its smoothness, but it still feels slightly gritty, too gritty for a moisturizer to be worn under makeup. She rubs it into her cheek, tapping the side of her face in thought. Perhaps if she strained it through a cloth?

Hae Soo sets off for the kitchen, walking too fast for her leg because she is deep in thought and excited about helping her friend. Her injured knee buckles on the causeway, sending her flying towards the railing, and she screams, trying to catch herself, but landing awkwardly and slamming her shoulder into a post. She groans, rubbing at both her shoulder and her knee, and if she'd had a third hand she would have reached for her ankle, which she thinks is definitely twisted.

"Soo-yah!"

Soo groans again, and buries her face in her hands. Of all the princes, the one she would least like help from right now is Wook.

"Are you all right, Soo-yah?" He looms over her, blocking out the sun.

"I'm _fine_ ," she hisses, her smile baring entirely too many teeth. She remembers herself and bows her head in respect. "Thank you for your concern, your Highness."

He bends over to help her to her feet, smiling as he always does, except the smile that had once set her heart fluttering now makes her feel cold all over. _"I was so foolish, to trust you."_

She dusts off her skirt, holding firmly onto the rail. She is not going to falter in front of him. "Thank you, your Highness," she says again, and bows. She can't move until he dismisses her, and she has never hated court protocol as much as she does in this moment.

"I hate to see you struggling so, Soo-yah," he says softly. She bites the inside of her cheek and says nothing in response. She will remain here unmoving for as long as it takes him to leave, even if she turns herself into stone waiting.

Wook sighs, letting go of her arms. "I know you think I don't care about you, but I do, Soo-yah. It pains me greatly to know you are not well."

 _"Not enough, though, to help me."_

"I am going to get you out of here, Soo-yah," he promises for the hundredth time, and she can't help it, tears sting at the corners of her eyes. Her grip on the railing becomes white knuckled.

"I have asked the King to free you," he adds, and she gasps.

"What?!"

He nods, smiling because he at last has her attention. "You'll come live with me at the Hwangbo Manor," he promises, "and when your title is restored we'll get married."

"The King will never agree…" she says weakly. "I won't- I will never come live with you."

Wook's smile turns, becomes slightly sinister, and her breath catches, becoming jagged in her chest. Her heart thuds in her ears, but it doesn't block out his words.

"You don't have that choice," he reminds her smugly.

He turns and walks away, and her vision clouds over red. She watches his retreating back and she sees the same image that had so scared her on the night the Fourth Prince had come to her aid: over Wook's armoured shoulder, Wang So gapes, open mouthed, as the Eighth Prince's sword runs him through.

"No…" she sobs softly. "Not Wang So."

So is angry. He's been angry at Wook before, a blinding rage at his indecision in helping Hae Soo that had made him shake with fury. But that was a small emotion compared to how he feels now, and Wang So has killed men for less.

So grits his teeth and squeezes his brush from the strain of it. His report on the rice exports to Qing is going to be difficult for Mu to read later, with all the splotches in his calligraphy. But Mu is kind, and given their discussion earlier today, he would undoubtedly forgive him.

He sighs softly and puts down his brush, rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Perhaps that is enough for today, your Highness," Ji Mong says calmly from the other side of the room. The Court Astronomer is not looking at him, but leaning out of the large window he is seated at, as though he is watching something on the ground. His book is discarded beside him, and So frowns. Ji Mong's tone hinted at something, and that was a sign something large was bound to happen.

"What-" he begins to say, but then he hears them, footsteps on the stairs that are first soft then heavy, irregular, made by a delicately slender woman with a bad limp. He ought to be elated that she is coming to him, to see her twice in the same day is a rare gift, but all he can think of is how painful the stairs must be.

 _"Foolish girl."_

There are fifteen flights, and he'll be damned if she taxes herself coming all the way up here. From the top of the stairs he hears her call.

"Ajusshinim?!"

It cuts right through him, the panic in her voice. Her footsteps increase in volume but it can't drown out the sound of her sobs. He takes the stairs down two at a time, but he is not fast enough to reach her before her injured leg give out, and she falls on the tenth landing. He finds her halfway up the eleventh flight, crawling on her hands and knees.

"Soo-yah!"

It startles her so badly that she gasps, terrified, her sob coming out as a small scream. "Your Highness," she cries, reaching for him, and he is beside her without really knowing how he closed the distance. "Your Highness!" Her tiny fists ball white-knuckled in the black court robe he hasn't had time to remove, gripping the dragon embroidery and pulling him closer, as if he needs the excuse.

"Soo-yah," he repeats, softer. His hands hang uselessly in the air around her. _"Tell me. Tell me who hurt you."_

Her shoulders shake as though breathing is an impossible chore, and he wants to pick her up, fold her protectively into himself and carry her to safety. He wants to cup her cheeks in his hands and stroke away the tears, hold her until she stops crying, but he mustn't do that, not without her permission.

"Do you need Ji Mong, Soo-yah?" he asks her gently. "Shall I go up and bring him down for you?"

"Hel-help…" she manages, through grit teeth. It shatters his resistance, that one tiny word. His hands land gently on her shoulder blades, one rubbing soothing circles. It makes her cry harder, and he doesn't know what to do. He is worried that if she continues on, like this, she will faint, and he takes firmer hold of her, letting her head fall into his shoulder, pressing her up against him.

"It's all right now," he promises. "I will help you."

"The Eighth Prince," she cries into his robes, "Please, please Your Highness!"

Her words freeze right to the very center of him; she knows. She knows what Wook has asked for, and she is afraid.

"What has Wook done?" he asks calmly, because he has to be sure. Sure so he can do the right thing. Anger is bubbling up in his stomach but he cannot allow her to see that. Not when she is already so upset.

He pulls her gently away from him, so he can look in her eyes. "Tell me, Soo-yah."

One of her hands presses into her chest, and for a moment she struggles to breathe enough to speak. "He… oh… Your Highness! The Eighth Prince has asked the King for permission…" She chokes there, and a small wordless cry falls from her lips. It is agony, and he forgets himself again, forgets that she does not love him and he has no right to touch her. He reaches out with careful fingers and strokes his thumb against her cheek.

Her eyes open wide, dark and so beautiful, and he doesn't care if he shows her too much of his heart in that moment. He stares into her black eyes and makes his smile as soft as he can, the smile he reserves for her alone.

"Don't be afraid, Soo-yah. Please, I am here now."

She sobs again, leaning forward and pressing her face to his chest. Her arms snake around him and he is speechless, frozen in her embrace. "He's going to kill you, I can't! I can't go to him, because he will kill you."

Her words hit him like a tone of stones, like a collapsing prayer tower. "Wook is-"

"He wants the throne, he will take it if the King agrees to free me! Please, Your Highness! Please don't let the King give me away!"

"How do you-"

"Your Highness!" she screams over him. She tears herself away to look at him, eyes panicked and terrified. Every breath looks like it is killing her and she reaches out and takes his face between her small hands. The only hands that have ever touched his face, the only hands he has ever wanted to touch him. He gasps, and he can't help it, tears well in his eyes and flow down his face, over her fingers.

"I won't go!" she screams. "I will die before I let- I don't care! I don't care if it changes things I won't let him try to kill you!"

It hangs in the air between them and he watches her shoulders shudder, her head bow under the weight of her pain. "You can't die," she pleads brokenly, "you can't die and leave me alone…"

That is what is finally too much for her, her hands slip from his face and she slumps backwards, nearly slipping down the stairs before he catches her in his arms. "Soo-yah? Soo-yah! Hae Soo!" He shakes her gently but she doesn't stir. "Ji Mong!"

"I'm here, Your Highness." The Court Astronomer is standing at the top of the eleventh flight of stairs, his eyes troubled.

"The Royal Physician, quickly!"

He picks her up and carries her to the top of the tower, and he sets her down on his own bed, taking her hand in his. _"Don't give up, I won't let anyone harm you, my Soo. I won't ever leave you alone."_

It feels like an age has passed when Ji Mong returns, with not only the Royal Physician in tow, but the King himself. His brother's soft command is the only thing that can get him out of the chair next to the bed to allow the Doctor to do his work, and they wait, So with his heart in his throat, for the Royal Physician's diagnosis.

"Her pulse is incredibly irregular," the doctor says quietly, packing up his things. "She has a weak heart. It would be best for her to leave service for a time, your Majesty. Somewhere quiet and peaceful, where she can recuperate."

The King nods, squeezing So's shoulder. His brother looms over him, a protective tree, and So is grateful for the shade.

"I've bound her ankle and her knee, but she will need to keep off both of them for at least a few weeks. I'll send over some medicine to calm her nerves and ease the pain."

"Thank you," Mu says. "Ji Mong, please see the doctor on his way."

So returns to his seat next to Soo's beside, and Mu waits until they are alone. "I am sorry, brother. I did not want her to find out this way."

So nods, reaching forward to stroke her hair back from her face. She is once again paying the price for Wook's ambition, once again broken by the forces of the palace.

"She said Wook will make a move for the throne," So says quietly. He does not mention that apparently Wook is going to kill him. Wang So would like to see his eighth brother try. "Please send her away," he pleads, though the thought of it nearly breaks him.

"Soon Deok has asked if I will send her to attend her," Mu replies, and So stares at him in surprise. Eun's wife does not like Hae Soo, particularly because Eun cares for Soo-yah so much. Likely it is Eun who has pressured Soon Deok into making the request. But their home is outside of Songak, and less than two day's ride from the palace. Close enough that he could still make inquiries.

"Eun-ah will be pleased, to have his friend returned," he says, and he almost succeeds at keeping the bitterness out of his voice.

"His property is conveniently near the Hwangbo clan's lands," Mu muses, pacing back and forth, "and there are reports of gangs rising up there. Eun is a good brother, but he will need help to subdue the violence. If Wook is stirring up rebellion, I need someone there I can trust."

The King stops pacing and folds his hands behind his back. He smiles at his brother. "Will you go, to help Eun?"

"Are you commanding me, you Majesty?"

"I am."

So falls on his knees, his forehead pressed into the floor. Because he is going to be able to give Soo her freedom without having to take anything away from her, because she will be safe and he will be able to watch her grow strong again. Because his brother has understood all of this and still given So a way to serve him.

"Great is your benevolence, your Majesty!"

Mu kneels in front of him and pulls him onto his knees. He cups the back of So's head and smiles, the gentle, brotherly smile he has always favoured So with, even when he was an outcast.

"For you, my brother, my benevolence knows no bounds."


	4. Step Onto The Road

**Note:** Sorry this took so long. April just kind of flew by.

This story is already over 22,000 words long, and this is only chapter 4. _The Fellowship of the Ring_ is around 113,000 words. It's _ON_ , J.R.R. (therefore, chapter title from the _Lord of the Rings_ ^^).

* * *

Step Onto The Road

The journey to the Tenth Prince's house is quickly organized – both the Fourth Prince and Hae Soo have few things to pack, and it is mostly a matter of delegating their duties so everything will run smoothly in their absence.

Soo surveys the preparations at Damiwon from a chair placed in the doorway of one of the side rooms – so that she won't be in everyone's way but can still see what is going on. By order of the Royal Physician, her injured leg is propped up on a cushioned stool to support her ankle and knee, and a crutch has been placed within easy reach. Soo is not to put any weight on her leg for the next several weeks, and the prospect of hopping her way around the Tenth Prince's house, or worse, having to be carried, was none too inviting. The crutch isn't practical, but she has dealt with much worse before.

It has been days since she woke up in the astronomy tower, yet she still exists in a daze, her body still tired, still too heavy. Merely standing up from her chair leaves her winded, and every step she takes leaning on the crutch is deliberately slow, calculated. The weariness in her body weighs her mind down, but Hae Soo has become good, very good at hiding behind a Court Lady's neutral mask, maintaining the perfect image of stoic professionalism in spite of her condition. She keeps track of the comings and goings at Damiwon, approves the teas and cosmetics her underlings prepare, makes sure to remind them of a princess's favourite soap for her bath, a prince's favourite tea, or the correct protocol to follow when serving the King.

As much as the Royal Physician has ordered her to rest, moments of true quiet are few and far between. She spends them with her eyes closed, retreating within herself, willing herself to hold on for a few more days. She has held on for so long, already. Surely, a few more days will be nothing. Then she'll be at Eun's house, and it will be a different kind of pretence, but at least she will be allowed to rest. She will be expected to rest. No one will be asking anything else of her, and Soo knows she can trust Eun to make sure she follows the Royal Physician's orders.

Chae Ryung will be going with her to help her. Her friend packs her things for her, presenting each item to her and waiting for Soo to either nod or shake her head. Her uniforms stay. The few hanbok she owns are carefully folded and placed into a trunk, save the one she'll be wearing for the trip itself.

"What about these?" Chae Ryung moves to the box containing her jewellery. Soo absentmindedly sorts through them, wondering which ones will better complement her clothes, when she finds the lotus hairpin. She had placed it there the night Wang So had given it back to her, and had not thought about it since.

"I don't remember this one from the Eighth Prince's house," Chae Ryung comments innocently. "Where did you get it?"

"It was a gift." Soo answers, lifting it out of the box to better look at it.

"From the Eighth Prince? It's very pretty…"

"No, from… a friend." She has had little time and energy to think in the past few days, but she is sure of this. Wang So is her friend, possibly the only one to have always taken her side and to have actually _done_ something for her. He may have given her the hairpin as a token of his love, she can still wear it as proof of their friendship, a silent " _thank you_ " that only he will understand.

"It is pretty," she agrees. "I'll take it with me."

* * *

She can't possibly walk all the way to the palace gate, so the horse-drawn palanquin meets her in front of Damiwon. Baek Ah and Jung have come to see her off, and the princes stand beside her like concerned mother hens as Soo watches her trunk being taken to the pack pony that will carry it.

"You'll rest well, yes?" Baek Ah asks for the third time that morning.

"Yes, your Highness."

"That's why she's going to Eun's." Jung reminds him. Then, turning to Soo: "You'll eat well, yes? You can't heal if you don't eat well."

"Yes, your Highness," she repeats with a patient nod. They don't know the whole story, how she ran up the tower, terrified out of her mind, to warn the Fourth Prince and seek Ji Mong's reassurance both, but they know that she is sick, frail, that if she passes out again, there could be… more severe consequences. It is all they can do not to go to Eun's estate with her. She wonders if they have tried asking the King.

"Be sure to write us, we want to know how you're doing." Jung continues, nervously twisting his fingers behind his back.

Baek Ah isn't so reserved. "Or ask Eun or So to do it, if you're too tired," he adds, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Of course. I'll be alright, your Highness. Prince Eun has already assured me that I'll be seeing his best doctor. I'll be in good hands."

"Court Lady Hae." Chae Ryung walks into the main hall, interrupting them. She bows to the princes in respectful apology, just like Soo taught her to, before turning back to Soo. "The palanquin is ready."

"Thank you," Soo answers. Chae Ryung moves to help her to her feet but Baek Ah beats her to it, sustaining Soo's elbow as she leans on her crutch. He walks her to the palanquin, Jung close behind them and Chae Ryung coming last, carrying a last travel bag over her shoulder.

"I'll be back in no time, so behave and take care of yourselves too, hm?" Soo says, smiling at the two men to ease their worries. They both nod in reply and help her into the palanquin, and walk beside it, Chae Ryung behind them, as it makes its way to the gate.

They meet the Fourth Prince there. He is already on his horse, a small patrol of guards around him. Twisting as she can in the palanquin, Soo looks around her – to her relief, besides Jung and Baek Ah and the travelers themselves, the courtyard is empty. The Eighth Prince has not come. The thought has been worrying her since she woke up, that Wook would try something ridiculous and dangerous to get her back to him, even if it meant fighting So again. He must know that she is leaving, all but escaping him and her vision.

The same thought seems to have crossed the Fourth Prince's mind: his sword is very ostensibly tied to his saddle, right by his hand, and he surveys the galleries around the palace gate, eyebrows lightly frowned. He rides up to the palanquin and she salutes him with an awkward bow.

"Ready to go?" he asks in a clipped tone.

"Yes, your Highness."

"Then let's be on our way. We have a two-day trip ahead of us."

The guards take place around them and Soo waves one last goodbye at her friends, before the palace gates close behind them.

* * *

Outside of Songak, the early summer breeze keeps most of the heat away. Progressing at the slow pace of the horse pulling the palanquin, they have left the bustling activity of the city for quieter country roads, and Soo finds herself relaxing gradually. She hasn't looked back, not once, letting the rhythmic movements of the palanquin and her fatigue lull her into a welcome stupor. Occasionally, Chae Ryung will inquire about her well-being, to which Soo replies as reassuringly as she can. Like it has for the past days, _"I'm just tired"_ becomes her go-to answer, a small refuge from more probing questions. Tired she is, and hurt, and worried, but she doesn't want to discuss any of it, not even with well-meaning friends.

She has placed a pillow against the side of the palanquin and rests her head on it, absentmindedly staring at the scenery outside the small windows – rolling hills, fields, isolated farms and villages, bigger towns in the distance. The road is still somewhat busy, merchants and dignitaries making their ways to and from the capital, but none of them gives their little group more than a passing glance. Away from Songak, few people would recognize the Fourth Prince without his distinctive mask, and the soldiers carry no banners, no distinctive signs that could identify them as royal guards. Wang So is only going to help his younger brother with some management issues on his estate, or so Soo has been told. No need for ceremony.

While Chae Ryung walks on the left side of the palanquin, frequently glancing inside, So rides on the right side, never far. The prince cuts a proud figure on his horse, his back straight, reigning in the animal that keeps prancing, clearly displeased with their speed, or lack thereof.

"Your horse keeps wanting to run…" Soo comments when he falls back next to the palanquin.

Unfazed, or probably used to his mount's antics, the prince chuckles. "He'll calm down soon enough. He hasn't been out in the open in a while; it makes him eager."

"You must get along then," she says without thinking. Her voice is barely a whisper, but So hears it anyway.

"A fast horse and an open field. It doesn't get much better than that," he admits, smiling at her.

"So you can feel free?" She is forgetting to use honorifics again. Chae Ryung is probably listening more or less discretely. Soo can't bring herself to care. Neither does Wang So.

"Something like that," he answers, his smile never faltering. "Although, it's not so bad, these days."

She thinks he is implying something, something that possibly concerns her, but Soo doesn't have energy for riddles. "It's good to be out of the palace," she settles on saying, both answering him and changing the subject.

"Indeed. Things were getting a little tense."

"Is Prince Eun in a lot of trouble then?" she asks, only to have him chuckle.

"No, I'm just going to check on a few things. Eun is young, and the King wants to know how he is doing."

Now Soo _does_ feel tired, her eyelids dropping even when she tries to stop them, and a nod is the only answer she can muster. So does not insist and let's her fall asleep before focusing on the road ahead. They have a long way to go, in more ways than one.

* * *

The Tenth Prince's estate has been built on lands granted to his grandfather, Wang Gyu, for his service in the fighting that unified Goryeo. The Royal family brought with it a need for more farmers, carpenters, artists, blacksmiths, gardeners, doctors, cooks, maids, guards, and where there used to be small farms and hunting grounds now stands a small but growing town concentrating the economic activity of the entire area. The presence of the Hwangbo lands to the north only increased trade, from which everyone is trying to profit. So explains it all to Soo on the second day of their trip, naming the villages, crops, and rivers they cross on the way.

The small of her back is starting to hurt from so many hours sitting in the palanquin, but Soo feels better that day, more energetic, and she listens to So closely.

"You sound like a scholar, your Highness," she comments. "How do you know so much?"

"I'm a prince of Goryeo and advisor to the King," he answers, feigning offense. "I need to know how the country works."

"Of course, your Highness" she answers, bowing in mock apology. So walks by the palanquin, his horse following behind him, to the barely-hidden bewilderment of the guards. They have all offered to hold it, as is _proper_ , but Wang So merely shrugged, stating that he would get back in the saddle when they approached the Tenth Prince's house. If has been walking right next to the palanquin for most of the day, it is, of course, only coincidence.

"What kind of man is Wang Gyu?" Soo asks, curious.

So shakes his head. "I have never met him," he says. "He has done much to develop the region. He also essentially raised Eun and, from what I hear, he adores his grandson."

"I can believe that," Soo answers, smiling. An adoring, protective, doting grandfather would do a lot to explain the prince's somewhat spoiled personality. But Eun has a good heart, so the essential must have been there.

She doesn't really know what to expect from her stay at the Tenth Prince's house. She has been asked to attend Soon Deok, once she heals, but Soon Deok already has maids and certainly no need for a Court Lady from the palace, no matter how good she may be at making tea. This was all Eun's idea, anyway, and Eun does not need a Court Lady either. Soo hoped that the Tenth Prince's relationship with his wife would improve once they were away from the palace, but if Eun requested her presence…

A deep sigh escapes her as Soo lets her head rest against the side of the palanquin again. She does not want to be caught in a crossfire, to be forced to pick a side, but she will have little choice in the matter – Eun's friend she may be, but she is also of inferior rank, a mere Court Lady stripped of her titles. She will have to be careful again, to put on a brave smile and watch her words. Everything is so complicated, now.

"Are you alright?" Wang So has noticed her sudden change in mood and eyes her with concern, his hand already reaching out to her. It reminds Soo of how she woke up in the prince's own bed, up in the tower, to find him sitting by her side, her hand in his. He had two long fingers wrapped around her wrist, feeling her pulse. He had felt it slowly even out as she slept, but it was still so weak, a tiny, flickering candle that anchored him to her. He had wanted nothing more than to cradle her to him, to protect her from greed and politics, but holding her hand was all he had dared.

"It will be alright, Soo," he had told her, his hand brushing hair out of her face, warm fingers lingering on her cheek as if he had been feeling for a fever.

"We're going away. You're going to heal and everything will be fine," he reassured her. Soo _had_ felt safe, then, would have pressed her cheek closer if she had had the strength. That was all she needed to know: away from the bloody nonsense of the palace, where Wook couldn't reach her, where he couldn't harm So. At that moment, nothing else had mattered. She had closed her eyes again, and fallen back asleep.

Now she almost wants to take his hand, to thank him for his constant attention, but there are too many people around them and she already bends the rules of propriety enough as it is. Still, she can smile at him, and hopes it is convincing enough.

"I am fine, your Highness," she answers. "Just impatient to get there."

* * *

"Soo!"

Eun grabs her into a bear hug before Soo is fully out of the palanquin, nearly causing her to tumble over. She would have, possibly bringing the prince down with her, if Chae Ryung had not managed to reach her in time.

"I'm so happy you're here, Soo! It has been far too long. I'm so busy here; I couldn't visit you at the palace as much as I wanted. But now I can see you everyday!" Eun's expressive face slips into a myriad of different moods as he speaks, from excitement to almost pouting to excitement again. He pulls back but doesn't release her, keeping a firm grip on her shoulders. Chae Ryung passes her the crutch and Soo tries to steady herself, patting the prince's arm with her free hand. To her relief, he gets the hint and takes a step back, finally allowing her to find her balance.

"I am happy to see you too, your Highness. You are showing me great kindness, letting me heal in your house," she answers as she bends into as formal a bow as she can. Better to remind him of their standing right away, especially with Soon Deok standing a few steps behind her husband, looking clearly displeased.

Eun seems taken aback, as if he had been expecting her enthusiasm to mirror his, but So intervenes before the situation can get any more awkward.

"It has been a long time, little brother," he says, clasping Eun's shoulder. "Have you been well?"

"Yes, but who would have thought running an estate would be so much work?" Eun nearly pouts again as he answers. He turns to Soo again for full effect and she offers him her most encouraging smile.

"It's no easy task, but his Majesty sent me here to help," Wang So smiles, turning Eun back towards the house. He greets Soon Deok when he reaches her, offering salutations from her father, before Eun urges him on. Soo watches them leave the courtyard. Right before he disappears into the house, So glances back at her, shooting her a look that could mean either "good luck" or "hang in there". Appropriate, at the very least.

She is left with Soon Deok, and politeness is politeness, so Soo bows to the princess like she did to Eun. Still standing by her side, Chae Ryung imitates her.

"I was sorry to hear you are sick," Soon Deok says. "My husband is worried about you."

Years practising formal greetings and protocol have taught Soo to read between the lines, to hear what is only being implied. What she hears in Soon Deok's words, now, is a tentative truce in the name of her love for her husband. From Eun's behaviour around her, Soo guesses that things haven't really changed, and her heart goes out to the younger woman. Unrequited love was never easy.

"I will heal, my Lady. It just needs time." She lets warmth into her voice, unspoken gratitude for Soon Deok's gift. "Please let me know if I can be of any assistance to you."

* * *

Doctor Jang sees Soo the morning following her arrival. He has already been briefed on her health but still takes time to examine her fully, and Soo immediately likes him. He exudes calm, quiet confidence, and his gestures are measured and purposeful. He looks at his patient with kind eyes but barely speaks as he works, only asking for precisions on her condition.

He spends long minutes with two fingers pressed against the pulse points on her wrists, brow slightly furrowed in concentration as he tries to make sense of what her heartbeat tells him. Then he gently probes her knee, pressing precise points in the joint that Soo recognizes to be acupuncture points, and evaluating her reaction. He finishes with her ankle, bending it slowly as much as it can before Soo tenses, the joint protesting the movement.

"Your ankle is healed, my Lady, the sprain wasn't bad," he finally tells her. "It is simply stiff from lack of movement. I will show you some exercises to bring back some flexibility and strength. Then you'll be able to put weight on it again."

That is good news, and Soo smiles. She will not miss the crutch.

"As for your knee, the wound is old and did not heal properly. It can get better, with proper care, but I am afraid it will always bother you."

Soo nods. She has been expecting this. It has been too long. Still, she'll be able to walk, and work, and that is what matters. She watches Doctor Jang pull a small leather pouch out of his bag and open it, revealing acupuncture needles.

"May I have your hand, my Lady?"

She holds her right hand up for him and he runs his thumbs along the lines of it, finding the correct points before placing his needles. Hae Soo has read several books on acupuncture in Damiwon, and Go Ha Jin remembers the theory she learned in school, how the hand is connected to all the meridians along which the body's energy circulates, and through them to all of her organs.

"Those will help my leg," she comments, pleased to see that she can still follow the doctor's actions.

"Yes. Better blood and lymph circulation will help it heal. They will be good for your heart, too."

"How is my heart?" she asks as he places more needles in her hand. She has told him about her chest pains, how it felt before she fainted in the tower, how she is still out of breath at the slightest exertion. She can manage a painful knee. A failing heart would be a different matter entirely. She can't help tensing even now, awaiting Doctor Jang's answer with baited breath, and a now familiar tightness winds around her chest.

"Did your chest pains start before and after your… knee injury?" the doctor asks instead. His new patient intrigues him. Hae Soo's knee wound was clearly caused by a leg-twister. She has been tortured and, he guesses, thrown into a jail until someone decided she could live after all, as these things go. Yet here she is now, a guest in a royal house. The Tenth Prince himself is pacing just outside her door, awaiting his conclusions, and has told him time and time again to do his very best to make Hae Soo healthy again. So who is she, really? And what is her story?

"Before," she answers, oblivious to his questioning, or choosing to ignore it. "But they got worse after that."

The doctor nods. "His Highness told me you were made to work hard after it, and the state of your knee confirms it. I think your heart has been weak for a long time, my Lady, but your injury and recent troubles put too much strain on it. Your heartbeat tells me you carry a heavy burden, possibly more than your heart can cope with. It needs rest, and quiet, if you want it to get better."

There is a warning in the doctor's eyes and voice as he says it. He confirms what the Royal Physician already told her, what Soo feels is true, in her heart and body. Any additional stress will only worsen her condition. It makes her chuckle, a small, humourless puff of air leaving her lips.

"Palace life is hardly ever quiet, Doctor."

"Then you'll have to make the most of your time here. I would advise you do not try to keep a particular schedule. Do not skip meals, but sleep when your body demands it. Do not push yourself, especially while your leg still heals. Shall I relay these instructions to his Highness, to make sure you follow them?"

"That… won't be necessary. I am practically bed-ridden until my leg heals anyway. I'll rest well, Doctor."

The needles are all in place now – Soo feels a prickling in her fingertips and up her arm and forces herself to take deep, regular breaths. _"Let them do their work",_ she tells herself. _"Do not fight them."_

They have to stay in place for several minutes, that Doctor Jang occupies by preparing a poultice for her knee that she is to apply everyday. He then takes several dry herbs and other ingredients from his medicine chest, mixing them in a small container. They are odorant, and Soo detects hints of ginger, and something citrusy.

"These are for your heart, to restore its strength," he explains. "Drink an infusion of these twice a day. With rest, it will improve, but I cannot promise that permanent damage hasn't already been done. We will have to wait and see how well you do."

This, Soo knows. She knows that she has been pushing herself too much (but what choice did she have, constantly having to obey orders and summons?), that good heart medicine is centuries away, that she can only take it one day at a time and hope for the best. Doctor Jang's words scare her, but she pushes it down bravely. Worrying would only make it worse.

"My Lady…" Chae Ryung intervenes. She has been standing by Soo's side the whole time, ready to assist the doctor if need be, and she, too, is scared by his revelations, barely holding back tears. So Hae Soo does what she does best: she puts on a brave smile and wills her worries away. She is going to live. She has promised herself that she would live.

"I am in good hands," she says, nodding at Doctor Jang who retrieves his needles from her hand. "I will be fine."

"I will be back in a week to evaluate your progress," the doctor adds before taking his leave.

Outside her room, Eun all but jumps on Doctor Jang, demanding news. Soo hears the Fourth Prince's voice, too, asking for more details. She evens hears Soon Deok there, promising that Soo won't be asked to do anything but rest for the foreseeable future.

"I am in good hands, indeed." Soo repeats, both to herself and Chae Ryung, and means it.

* * *

"They seemed like separate incidents at first, but they kept multiplying. My grandfather thought it better to notify his Majesty."

"Gangs, then? Along your borders with the Hwangbo lands?"

The lunch dishes had barely been cleared that So has sought out his younger brother, hoping to discuss the true reasons of his presence before the rest of the day's duties whisked Eun away. So already tried, this morning, but Eun's mind had been solely focused on Doctor Jang visiting Soo. When even Soon Deok had asked to know the doctor's conclusions, he had given in, telling himself it wasn't because he, too, worried. So trusts the Royal Physician's diagnosis, the man has saved his life before, but a second opinion never hurts, and he can never be too sure, not where Soo's health is concerned.

So the three of them had waited outside Soo's door for the doctor to finally come out and tell them what they already knew: let her rest, and hope for the best. So has never been very good at hoping, but Soo has started teaching him that it is allowed, even for him, that it makes burdens lighter, and, more than anything, he believes in her. If she says she will be fine, then of course she will be. She has to be.

But his own duties call, and he has to tuck Soo safely into a little corner of his heart while he takes care of larger would-be threats.

"Most likely," Eun answers. "They've stolen goods and money and there's been one farm burnt down, and they do attack anyone who gets too close to them. They never stay in one place though, so we've had trouble tracking them down. We do not know if they are several small independent groups or all part of a larger organisation."

"Do they kill them? Those who come too close to them?"

"No, they knock them out. Some have been more seriously wounded but no one has died. Why do you think they do that?" Eun blinks innocently, eliciting a small smile from So. Eun has matured in the two years he's been married and ruling his own estate, and as So sees him now, standing in his study, books and scrolls around him, he almost looks the perfect image of a young lord. But there are also two finger puppets on his desk and a small wooden boat on a shelf, telling him that, no matter how old he gets, Eun will always be his baby brother. Constantly surrounded by the calculating palace officials, he has missed Eun's carefree attitude.

"Striking fear, leaving witnesses to spread rumours… From what you're saying, it sounds like they walk in somewhere, take whatever strikes their fancy, and leave. Maybe they don't want you and your grandfather trying _too_ hard to find them."

There's another idea forming in his mind – a hunch that would seem far-fetched if Eun's neighbour wasn't the Hwangbo clan. The Fourth Prince cannot prove anything and he has little more than a gut feeling to base this on, but Soo's warming still rings loud and clear in his mind. And Hwangbo Wook is plotting something. He cannot prove that, either, yet every instinct he has tells him it is true. So knows better than to ignore the coincidence. Better than to dismiss a hunch.

"We have patrols on the look-out, but it is summer. Everyone is very busy. I cannot send that many men away from the house and town." Eun adds, apologetic, making So smile again. _"Too soft, Eun."_ Not that that is a bad thing. So likes the idea that one of his brothers, at least, could be spared the need to grow into a hardened cynic.

"That's exactly why I'm here, Eun," he says reassuringly. "I'll help. Will you show me where the attacks happened? Maybe there's a link there."

* * *

 **Note** : Doctor Jang is, of course, straight out of the drama _Faith: The Great Doctor_.


End file.
